Sunday, January 22, 2006
My advice
As mentioned in my first post to S21, I want to deal with the composition degree topic.
Let me begin by saying that I had wonderful teachers, in composition and other courses, and I do not regret studying with them. The institutions administering the degree programs were an appropriate fit for my needs. Teaching composition is a difficult task that requires a delicate balance of knowledge on the subject and intuition about people. Nothing you are about to read is a put-down to my teachers or schools. These are observations about my decisions and “the composition degree” in general.
On to my thoughts…
I should have never pursued a composition degree. The degree name is useless to almost anyone outside of music academia. I have spent more time explaining my education than people do evaluating its worth.
If I were counseling a prospective “composer,” who desired to pursue a B.M. in composition, this would be my advice:
1. Pick a field other than composition where you would like to work, preferably one that supports you financially, and if you wish, a future family. Maybe something like arts administration, a nice alternative to the starving composer field, but still closely related to the arts.
2. Major in something that would help you become employed in this alternate field of work. But since you want to be a composer, seek out the composition faculty and try to sign up for lessons as a non-major. Take composition every semester, attend as many composition-related functions you can, hear lots of music, get involved with online communities like S21, get involved in the new music community outside the university, but, under no circumstance switch your major. It is easy for a starry-eyed, 18-year-old, whose favorite composer is Elliot Carter, Ned Rorem, or John Corigliano, think that all composers end up that way, or at least think they have a fair shot a career like theirs.
3. Once you have graduated with your worthwhile degree, get a job and go to work. Compose in evenings and on weekends (a la Charles Ives). Be a patron of your local arts community and new music scene by giving money that you have earned. Unfortunately, if you want to influence major arts organizations in your city (especially in the way of new music), you must be able to back it up financially. All of your complaining does little if your contribution record shows you have only bought a few of the cheapest seats in the house.
4. Be the best composer you can be. Don’t let anyone tell you how to write or what to write. Ignore all arguments that are stylistically based. Ignore competitions. Instead, seek out players, conductors, and other composers to develop friendships and collaborations.
The idea is to become financially stable so you can worry about composing, not if you have another gig lined up, which call center pays the most per hour, or when you are going to find time to compose because your free time that should be devoted to developing your voice is instead being consumed by your second, third, or fourth job.
I’m not bitter, just figuring out some things that should have been thought of before now.
Our music schools should spend less time spitting out music majors, and more time developing advocates for the arts (in our case, new music) who contribute financially as well as artistically. The key to doing this is advising and counseling kids instead of just asking them what they want to do and signing them up for the classes that fit the degree requirements.
posted by Daniel Gilliam
6:16 PM
|
